


I Met You in a Back Alley

by Tsorin



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Valentine's Day 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-03-13
Packaged: 2018-10-04 08:26:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10272386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsorin/pseuds/Tsorin
Summary: Prompto drags Noctis out to a bar for Valentine's Day but Noctis is tired of people who only want to know him for his dad. But in the alley behind the club, he meets a pretty girl with a beautiful smile.Maybe this Valentine's Day won't be a complete bust after all.(Modern AU)





	

When Noctis finally makes it to the club doors and outside, the cold February air is a relief. Behind him, the music pulses in time with his headache. Somewhere in that mess, Pormpto, Gladio, and a drunk Ignis (like, actually drunk. It’s terrifying and Noctis never wants to see it again.) are on the dance floor. Prompto had been surrounded by several girls. Ignis and Gladio had been at the bar, old enough to actually drink.

It isn’t how Noctis had planned to spend his Valentine’s Day. Prompto had talked Gladio into it and Noctis almost never won against both of them. That meant Ignis had to come along, ostensibly as a chaperone.

Well, that had worked out just _swell_.

There was a reason Noctis almost never went out to bars. The second his last name was dropped (usually by Prompto, who never meant anything by it so Noctis never got mad at him), every woman in the place usually found him unbearably attractive.

Noctis hates his Dad’s business.

He can’t bring himself to go back in the club. Noctis takes a moment to think longingly about his coat, probably still draped over Gladio’s arm, but can’t find the drive to retrieve it. He will just take a quick walk around the block and he is still hot from the club. He’ll be fine.

Of course, not fifteen minutes later, Noctis is regretting his decision. His jacket, while a favorite, has short sleeves and is nowhere thick enough to be any kind of protection against the wind.

 _Will it be quicker to turn around and head back?_ Noctis wonders. Or has he made it more than halfway? If that was the case, he should keep going…

“Pryna, come back!”

Noctis’s thoughts are interrupted as a white shape suddenly fills his vision. Noctis falls over with a yelp of surprise.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I thought I had a better grip on her. Bad girl Pryna! Here.” A hand comes into his view. “Can I help you up?”

She looks like an angel. Unlike Noctis, she is dressed for the weather. A white cape and hood, lined with some kind of fur, shields her face and her blonde hair. Her dress, probably lined and warm, is also white.

Her gloved hand feels so warm on his when he accepts the help. When they are both standing, Noctis finds them surrounded by a pair of dogs. One is as white as its mistress, the other is black and gray.

“I’m sorry about Pryna,” the woman says. “She just likes meeting new people. Umbra does as well, of course, but he’s a bit calmer about it.”

“It’s fine,” Noctis says. He actually likes the dogs pressing against his legs – they warm him a bit. Even so, another gust of wind moves through the streets, causing him to shiver again.

“Are you cold?” the woman says. “Oh, you’re not wearing much of anything, are you? Here, take this.”

She starts to take her hood off.

“No, no! I’m fine. Don’t trouble yourself.”

“Well, I’m not just leaving you out in the cold like this! There’s a coffee shop a little bit farther. Do you want to get a drink?”

Noctis almost says no by default but changes his mind. For one, this girl has no idea who he is, so this can’t be about his father’s business. For another, he really could use something hot.

He also wouldn’t mind getting to know this woman a little better.

“Sure,” he says.

“Wonderful!” She takes his hand.

Noctis is surprised to find that she is actually a few inches shorter than him. As soon as this thought occurs to him, he wonders why. Sure, he’s shorter than Gladio and Ignis, but so are most people. He’s usually taller than the women he meets.

Why did this woman _feel_ so much bigger?

“My name is Luna,” the woman says. “Well, actually Lunafreya, but that’s quite a mouthful, isn’t it?” She smiles at him and Noctis’s heart stops for a second. “What’s yours?”

“Noc…” He freezes. He doesn’t want this woman to look at him and see nothing more than his father’s business empire. So, even though he feels bad for it, he lies.

“L-luke. Luke Collins.” It’s close enough to his real name that he’ll answer to it. He hopes.

“Nice to meet you, Luke,” Luna says. “Now, let’s go get those drinks.”

Umbra and Pryna are allowed inside the café because, according to Luna, the owner loves dogs. It isn’t until they are leaning against the front counter, waiting on their drinks (hot chocolate for Noctis and a chai latte for Luna), that Noctis realizes something is wrong with this picture.

“Shouldn’t you have a date or something tonight, Luna?”

Luna looks puzzled for a moment. Then she suddenly seems to see all the decorations and the couples cuddling in the booths.

“Oh, is it Valentine’s Day already?” she says, laughing. “No, I’m not seeing anyone so I guess I forgot about it.”

“I can’t imagine someone as beautiful as you wouldn’t be able to find a date for Valentine’s Day,” Noctis says. He can feel the blush across his cheeks and he curses his pale skin because of course Luna can see it too.

“That’s sweet,” Luna says. She scoops a little of the whipped cream out of her drink and dabs it on his nose.

Noctis sneezes and Luna laughs.

“How cute!” Noctis hears the older woman behind them say and he flushes. Luna also appears to have heard her so they gather up their things. Noctis feels much warmer, so he leads them both back outside.

Noctis rubs the foam off his nose and sucks the remainder from his finger.

The dogs both tug at their leashes and this time, Luna lets them go. They’re good dogs, she tells Noctis. They always come back.

They keep walking. It’s sooner than Noctis would have liked when he can hear the pulsing of the club in the distance. He doesn’t want to go back inside and deal with Gladio’s worry and Ignis’s disapproval.

Pryna and Umbra eventually wander back their way. Pryna’s got something in her mouth, possibly a lost shoe. Luna bends down to wrestle it away, but Pryna holds on.

Luna tumbles back after a particularly unsuccessful attempt. At first, Noctis is worried she may have hurt herself, but Luna insists that she’s fine. Laughing, she finally gets the shoe away from Pryna.

Luna looks up from Pryna, face red from the exertion and her hair a little disarrayed. She doesn’t look like any of the dolled up women that have thrown themselves at Regis Caelum’s son. She looks real.

She smiles and Noctis wants to kiss her.

But.

She still doesn’t know who he is.

He can’t handle lying to her anymore. It’s cruel, letting himself believe that he can have Luna, even once she knows the truth. As much as Noctis wants to hold onto this feeling, he can’t enjoy it, knowing it is a lie.

“Luna,” he forces himself to say. “I need to tell you something.”

“What is it?”

“My name… it’s not Luke Collins.”

“I had guessed, mystery man,” Luna says. “You didn’t sound very confident when you said it.”

“It’s Noctis. Noctis Caelum.”

It seems to take a moment for it to sink in.

“Like, Caelum Incorporated?”

“Yeah. Regis Caelum is my father.”

“I… can see why you didn’t want to tell me,” Luna says after a moment. “People can be really shallow, can’t they? Were you afraid I would like you for your money.”

It’s happened more than once. More than ten times. More times than Noctis can count.

“I understand that. A little. True, the Fluret name isn’t quite as well-known as the Caelum, but that happens to me sometimes too.”

Fluret. Luna’s right, the Fluret aren’t as well-known as the Caelums, but Noctis has heard of them. Sylvia Fluret is a famous actress and her son, Ravus, is already making a name for himself.

“So Noctis, please believe me when I say I understand. I’m not my mother, just like you’re not your father.”

She takes his hand again.

Telling Luna, finding out Luna doesn’t care, that she understands, is the best feeling in the world. But now that his secret’s out, Noctis doesn’t quite know where to go from here.

They stand there in the street. Noctis feels like he’s waiting for something, but he doesn’t know quite what. Luna squeezes his hand and smiles up at him.

Noctis slowly leans down and places a kiss on her cheek. He waits for her to scream, to tell him to stop, but when she doesn’t, he does it again. This time on the lips.

And again. And again.

Finally, they pause to breathe. Noctis leans his forehead against Luna, reveling in her presence.

“It’s snowing,” Luna murmurs into his lips.

Noctis suddenly wishes he could capture this moment forever. Luna, this beautiful and wonderful person, who doesn’t care about his family or his wealth, who wants to be with just him.

“Be my Valentine?” he says.

Luna laughs, like actually full-out laughs, but she clutches him tighter and smiles afterwards, so Noctis counts it as a success.

“Maybe next year,” Luna says. “It’s after midnight you know.”


End file.
